Pentax Optio W90 waterproof camera splashes down

Pentax has announced the Optio W90 waterproof camera, the successor to the W80. The W90 offers enhanced waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, and coldproof performance and features a digital microscope mode with LED lighting to capture small but intriguing subjects.

The W90 is designed with the look of mountaineering equipment and includes a woven web fabric strap complete with a carabiner to attach the camera to a backpack and other outdoor gear. Here are some of the features of the W90:

• Waterproof to 20 feet
• Shockproof to four feet
• Coldproof to sub-freezing temperatures
• 12.1 megapixel sensor and wide angle 5x optical zoom (28-140mm 35mm equivalent)
• Digital microscope mode with LED lens lighting to capture macro subjects as near as 1cm from the camera
• Eye-Fi wireless SD memory card connectivity for built-in Wi-Fi capability to transfer photos and videos from the camera to a computer or an online photo or video sharing site
• 2.7 inch LCD with 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio
• HD movie capability (widescreen 720p HD video at 30 frames per second)
• An HDMI port to play back high resolution images and video on HDTVs
• Shake reduction technology
• Face detection, smile capture, blink detection, and processing modes specifically designed for portraiture, and new Pet Recognition that captures up to three pre-programmed pet faces in memory
• Infrared remote control compatibility with Pentax infrared remote controllers
• An autofocus assist lamp to quickly and accurately focus in challenging lighting

Pricing and availability
The Pentax W90 will ship in April 2010 at a price of $329.95. Additional information about the W90 can be found at the Pentax website.